Coupler operating device



March 15,1938. c GOLDlNGER 2,111,488

COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Filed March 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 15, 1938. M D ER 2,111,488

COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Filed March 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 15, 1938 *rrss COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE ration of Delaware Application March 18, 1937, Serial No. 131,567

9 Claims.

The invention relates to means or device to operate a railway car coupler from adjacent the side of the car as required by the safety appliance act under the Interstate Commerce Commission law, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide such a device wherein the lateral service movements of the coupler will not cause the handle of the device to move sidewise of the car so that such handle is always in substantially the same relation to the side of. the car where it can be grabbed by the trainman, and furthermore always is within the limitations prescribed by the above mentioned safety appliance act.

My device is an improvement upon the constructionshown in Kinne Patent No. 1,985,036 of December 18, 1934:, one ofthe improved features being to increase the clearance between the inner end of the operating rod or member and the coupler to reduce the friction therebetween, which friction is caused by varying heights 'of couplers and improper height of the supporting bracket from the rail.

Another object and improvement is to provide an operating rod or member comprising two pieces which are hinged together so that one rod or member may be applied to any one of several railway cars of various widths without altering the car, position. of the coupler or the operating member and furthermore without altering the relation of the supporting bracket to the side wall of the car. Such a device reduces the cost thereof by permitting quantity production by the maker and quantity storage by the user. Inventories are also reduced. In other Words, standardization.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge connection between the two'pieces comprising the operating member for movement in substantially a vertical plane only, and if a hinged connection is not used to provide means to limit the angular movement of the two component pieces in a substantially horizontal plane.

In the drawings;

Figs. 1 and 2 show a typical application to a railway car.

Fig. 3 shows a side view of a coupler by itself.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified structure.

Figs. 6 and 7 show another modified structure. The drawings show the coupler lock lifter 2 pivotally supported by the coupler head 3 at 4 and operatively connected to the coupler look at 5. A typical coupler of the kind to which my device is especially adaptable is shown in Kinne Patent No. 1,639,300 of August 16, 1927, and Kinne Patent No. 1,985,036 of December 18, 1934.

The outer end of the two piece operating member is rotatably supported by the outer bracket 10 mounted upon the car adjacent the side wall of. the car and the inner end thereof is directly connected to and supported by the lifter arm 2. The two piece operating member is connected to the lifter arm intermediate its points of connection to the coupler head (4) and the coupler lock (5) so that a portion of the weight of the two piece operating member tends to keep the coupler look from unlocking or creeping.

The outer piece (29) and the inner piece (M) of the two piece operating member are hinged together for angular movement in a substantially vertical plane so that the coupler may move laterally of the car without disturbing the handle 22. The handle 22 may be offset, as shown at 24, to prevent the outer piece 20 from moving sidewise of the car in the bracket I0. The joint between the pieces 20 and 2| is preferably lower than the connection between the inner piece 2| and the lifter arm 2 to assure a hinge action between the two pieces 20 and 21 when the coupler moves laterally. v

The inner and outer pieces are also rotatively connected together; that is, so that the rotation of one piece rotates the other piece.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the hinged rotatable joint between the two pieces of. the operating member is shown as a pair of interengaging eyes SIS-3i.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified joint wherein one piece is provided with a flat part 34 fitting between a pair of jaws 35 on the other part and pivotally secured thereto by the pin 36.

Figs. 6 and '7 show a modification wherein the joint comprises an eye 40 on one of the pieces and a three pronged fork on the other piece with the middle prong 4i passing through the eye All and with the two outer prongs 42 engaging the sides of the eye 40 to cause rotation of both pieces upon rotation of one of the pieces. Some means are provided to retain the middle prong M in the eye; for instance, the middle prong may be bent to encircle a portion of the eye, as shown at 44. The outer prongs 42 maybe bent downwardly 35) for loose engagement with the opposite sides of the piece 46 to restrict the angular movement of the pieces in a substantially horizontal plane; that is, to prevent undue bodily swinging movement of the two piece operating member.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being hingedly connected together for movement in a substantially vertical plane, said pieces being so supported adjacent the side of the car and by said lifter arm that said pieces move angularly relative to each other upon lateral movement of the coupler.

2. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being connected together for angular movement only, relative to each other, in a substantially vertical plane.

3. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being connected together for angular movement relative to each other in a substantially vertical plane, and means to restrict the angular movement relative to each other in a substantially horizontal plane.

4. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported by a bracket adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being connected together for angular movement relative to each other in a substantially vertical plane, and means to restrict the angular movement relative to each other in a substantially horizontal plane, the outer piece of said member associated with said bracket to prevent bodily movement of said outer piece laterally of the car.

5. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being hingedly connected together for movement relative to each other in a substantially vertical plane, said hinged connection comprising a pair of jaws on one piece, a flat part fitting between said jaws on the other piece, and a pin pivotally connecting said jaws and said flat part, said jaw connection restricting the angular movement of one piece of said member relative to the other piece thereof in a hori- Zontal plane.

6. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being hingedly connected together for movement in a substantially vertical plane, said pieces being so supported adjacent the side of the car and by said lifter arm that said pieces move angularly relative to each other upon lateral movement of the coupler, said connection comprising an eye on one of said pieces interlocking with an eye on the other of said pieces.

7. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, the two pieces of said operating member being connected together for angular movement relative to each other in a substantially vertical plane, and means to restrict the angular movement of said pieces relative to each other in a substantially horizontal plane, the connection of said pieces being lower than the connection between the inner piece and the lifter arm for the purpose specified.

8. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, an eye on one of said pieces and a three pronged fork on the other of said pieces with the outer prongs engaging said eye to cause rotation of both pieces upon rotation of either piece, with the middle prong passing through said eye, and means to retain the middle prong within said eye.

9. In a railway car provided with a laterally movable coupler having a lock movable in the coupler head, means for transmitting operating movement to the coupler lock, said means including a lifter arm pivoted at one end to the bottom of the coupler and operatively connected at its other end to said lock, the combination of a rotatable two piece operating member so supported adjacent the side of the car and directly connected to the lifter arm intermediate the points of connection of said arm to the coupler head and lock that a portion of the weight of the operating member tends to prevent the coupler from unlocking, an eye on one of said pieces and a three pronged fork on the other of said pieces with the outer prongs engaging said eye to cause rotation of both pieces upon rotation of either piece, with the middle prong passing through said eye, and means to retain the middle prong within said eye, said outer prongs being bent for loose engagement with opposite sides of the piece having the eye to restrict the angular movement of said pieces relative to each other in a substantially horizontal plane.

CARL M. GOLDINGER. 

